Mueller Park visitors still couldn’t “officially” visit the popular east Bountiful picnic area, shown above, as the Clipper went to press. However, people were using trails that entered the park before the closed gate. The park area is officially part of the Wasatch-Uinta National Forest. As such, it is closed as part of the partial government shutdown. The shutdown is partial, though broad and heavy in its impact. For example, thousands of workers at Hill AFB went back to work last week while others couldn’t. Thousands of workers are officially furloughed, but must work without pay. Other thousands are furloughed without pay and told to stay home, depending on how essential their jobs are. Utah national parks were among those reopened over the weekend, thanks to an agreement where Gov. Gary Herbert is using state surplus funds to pay for them to reopen.

Legally the Forrest Service,, or I should say the contracted group over the Mueller Park Area cannot lawfully prevent people from using the Kenny Creek Trail, which I have Horsebacked up often with my dad and Grandpa. You have to go past the gate to use the trail. The trail goes into Rocky Mountain Basin, and connects with the Great Western Trail way up on top which that trail goes from Canada to Mexico. I walked up that trail the other day and was NOT stopped by anyone... The trail head to this trail is past the gate and on the North side of the roadThe camp host over Mueller Park can only keep people out of the picnic areas. Kenny Creek Trail has been a public through-fare for more then 20 years and access has to be allowed under Utah Law. Again, I have been up that trail on foot twice, and could probably do it on a horse too, and have not been stopped or questioned by anyone.. Just some FYI.